Bed-brace and slat-fastener.



No. 639,796. Patented Dec. 26, 1899. P. H. TREADWAY &. R. V. PARKER.

BED BRACE AND SLAT FASTENEB.

Apphcabwu filed May 20, 1899.) (N 0 M o d e l Winona;

azmmw 9 NITED STATES PATENT FFIcE.

PAOA H. TREADWAY AND ROBERT V. PARKER, OF REYNO, ARKANSAS.

BED-BRACE AND S LAT-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,796, dated December26, 1899.

Application filed May 20, 1899. Serial No. 717,607. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, PACA H. TREADWAY and ROBERTV. PARKER,citizens ofthe United States of America, and residents of Reyno, Randolph county,Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BedBraces and Slat-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to bedsteads, and more particularly to the bracesemployed for holding the parts thereof together; and the object of thesame is to produce animproved brace of this character which also servesas a fastener for the slats.

To this end the invention consists, specifically, in the peculiar mannerof leading the cables from and connecting them to the several parts.

The following specification describes our preferred manner of carryingout the invention, all as illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein- Figure 1 is a general perspective view elevation of a bedsteadpartly broken away to show the application of ourinvention thereto, someof the slats being illustrated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is an enlargedplan View of one corner of the bedstead, showing the course of thecable. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the tightening device. Figs. 4and 5 are details of the so-called pulley and roller, respectively,these terms being employed herein to differentiate the pulley, whoseaxis is at right angles to its screw-stem, from the roller, which hasits bearing directly on its stem.

In the drawings is represented a bedstead of conventional type embodyinga headboard H, footboard F, side rails R, attached by catches C, andslats S, all being well known and forming no part of the presentinvention. It frequently occurs, especially after a bedstead has hadhard use for many years, that it grows weak and shaky, or perhaps itsrails spring out and permit some of the slats to drop out of place.Experience has shown us that the catches C, if not strongly andperfectly made, often work loose, even, and in general the structurewears with age and use until it finally becomes unserviceable. Theobject of our present invention is to produce an attachment which can beapplied to such worn-out bedsteads, (or which, indeed, can be as wellapplied to them when first set up,) whereby their several parts can bedrawn tightly together and held so, and even outwardly bulging oryielding side rails can be drawn inward to such an extent as to clampthe ends of the slats and hold them tight. This we accomplish by meansof a cable, preferably of wire, run or strung about the interior of thebedstead in the following manner and tightened by a device T. (Best seenin Fig. 3.)

Beginning at the point 1, the cable W is at tached to the rail R bymeans of a nail, screw, or staple about four inches inward from the endof the rail and on a line below the bottom of the slat-notches N. Thenceit passes under a roller (see Fig. 5) at a' point 2 in the post P aboutone and one-half or two inches below the horizontal plane of thepoint 1. Thence it rises about eight inches to a point 3 on the innerface of the headboard H and about four inches from the end thereof,whereit passes over a pulley. (See Fig. 4.) Thence it leads inward over theendmost slat S and downward under the second slat to the point 4, whereit passes under a second roller 10- cated in the inner face of the railR. Thence it passes along beneath the slats and just inside the rail Rto a point 5 near the center of the length thereof, or perhaps someeight inches toward the point l'from said center, where it passesthrough a second pulley and turns inward beneath the plane of the slats,and, finally, T designates the tightening device described below and towhich the cable is connected. By preference we employ one such cablealong each side of the bedstead and attach its extremities at similarpoints 1 and 1 at the head and foot, and the centers of these two cablesare tightened as below, although it is to be understood that any otherequivalent tightening means might be employed.

The above description, taken with the accompanying drawings, will makeit clear that when tension is imparted to the cable a compound actiontakes place to wit, the stretch of cable 1 2 draws the rail toward thepost, especially at the bottom of the rail, and slightly downward, thusforcing the catches 0 more deeply into their notches in the post thanformerly. The stretch 2 3 draws the headboard toward the post and clampsit thereto, although these members are often made integral, and thestretch 3 4 by its oblique position and descent not only draws the upperedge of the rail against the post, but also springs the rail slightlyinward at and adjacent the point 4, thus tightening it against the endsof all slats toward this part of the bedstead. The stretch 4 5 conveysthe strain from the tightening device at the center to the corner justdescribed, and the stretch from the point. 5 inward to said device drawsthe rail inward at and adjacent the center of its length and tightens itagainst the ends of the centermost slats. If the improved tight eningdevice described below is employed, this action takes place at the fourcorners and the longitudinal centers of both rails simultaneously, andthe result is that the complete bedstead is tightened quickly andthoroughly.

Referring now to Fig. 3, o "v designate two duplicate claws ofsubstantially V shape and which may be cast each in one piece or madewith a small bracing-block Z2 within their angles, and in the lower faceof each arm of each claw is out a notch or opening 0, as seen. 11 is anut or enlargement formed fast upon the center of a double screw s orone having its opposite ends cut with respectively right and left handthreads, and through the angles of the claws are similarly threadedholes for these ends of the screw. this tightening device is best seenin Fig. 1, and it will be clear that it is only necessary to pass theloops at the centers of the two ca.- bles W upward into the openings'o,when the whole will be ready for immediate use. By turning the nut n inthe proper direction the two claws are first separated'until said loopscan be inserted, after which the nut is turned in the other direction todraw the claws and loops inward, and thereby the entire bedstead istightened in the manner above described. There is nothing on thistightening device to injure or interfere with the slats beneath which itstands, and even if it stood opposite a space between two slats and themattress came in contact with it no injury thereto would result. On thecontrary, it is desirable that something rest upon or contact with theflat. upper face of the nut it after its adjustment in order to preventits unscrewing under strain and agitation. All parts of this device areof the desired sizes, shapes, proportions, and materials, leaving thematter of preference to the manufacturer. Especial attention is calledto the formation of an upright triangle by the stretches 1 2 and 3 4,which triangle draws the rail firmly against the post, and a secondtriangle by the stretches 1 2 3 4, as seen in plan view in Fig. 2, whichdraws the headboard toward the post and also springs the rail inwardnear its end. In addition the bend the cable makes at the two points 5 5near the center of the length of each rail also springs the latterinward there,

which is desirable for the reason already set forth. The advantages ofthe use of our im proved form of tightening device in this specialconnection and with the stringing of the cable as described areapparent.

What is claimed as new is- 1. In a bed-brace, the combination with themembers of a bedstead, and a tightening device located within theframework thereof; of two cables, each connected at its center to saiddevice and having each end leading to one corner of the bedstead andthere forming an upright triangle with the extremity of the cableattached to the side rail, and antifriction-guides 'in the angles ofsaid triangle and respectively attached to the headboard above and tothe post below the horizontal plane of said point of terminalattachment, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a bed-brace, the combination with the members of a bedstead, and atightening device; of two cables, each connected at its center to saiddevice and having its ends leading 11 to the corners of the bedstead,and each end there forming a triangle in plan view with its extremityattached to the side rail some little distance inward from the end ofthe latter, and antifriction-guides in the angles j of said triangle andrespectively attached to 1 the rail, the post, and the headboard, as and1 for the purpose set forth.

The location of 1 members of a bedstead, and the-catches uniting them;of a cable end within each corner of the bedstead attached at 1 to theside rail, f thence leading as at 2 to the post, thence as at 3 to apoint on the headboard some little distance from the post, thence to apoint 4 3. In a bed-brace, the combination with the on the side railadjacent the attaching-point 1, thence to a point 5 near the center ofthe rail, and finally to a tightening device, and

antifriction devices located at said several points, as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. In abrace for abedstead-corner, the combination with the post andheadboard, the side rail, the catches between said rail and post, andthe slats; of a cable attached ata point 1 within the rail somel'ittledistance from the end of the latter, a roller in the post at a point 2below the plane of said point 1 and beneath which the cable passes next,a pulley in the headboard at a point 3 above the plane of the attachingpoint 1 and some little distance from the post and through which thecable passes next, and a roller in the rail at a point 4 beneath thesecond slat under which the cable passes next, and means for drawing onthe other end of the cable, as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Reyno, Arkansas, this 17th day of May, 1899. V

PAOA II. TREADWAY, ROBERT V. PARKER. Witnesses:

DANIEL W. BLUNT, JOHN W. THOMPSON.

